CA1114170A - Blast head rigging apparatus for tank side cleaning - Google Patents
Blast head rigging apparatus for tank side cleaningInfo
- Publication number
- CA1114170A CA1114170A CA334,263A CA334263A CA1114170A CA 1114170 A CA1114170 A CA 1114170A CA 334263 A CA334263 A CA 334263A CA 1114170 A CA1114170 A CA 1114170A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tank
- rigging
- car
- travel
- winch
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
- B08B9/08—Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S180/00—Motor vehicles
- Y10S180/901—Devices for traversing vertical surfaces
Abstract
BLAST HEAD RIGGING APPARATUS
FOR TANK SIDE CLEANING
Abstract of the Disclosure A portable blast head rigging apparatus is dis-closed which is particularly suited for use in cleaning the sides of large storage tanks. The rigging employs a travel car having a winch mechanism thereon. By means of a cable connected to the top of the tank the car crawls up the side of the tank to the top where it is pivoted into a position from which it can travel around the entire circum-ference of the tank. Once in place the travel car hoists a rigging into position against the tank side suspended from the travel car. The blast head is then moved up and down within the rigging by operation of the travel car winch mechanism and the travel car is repositioned periodically to permit treatment of the entire tank.
FOR TANK SIDE CLEANING
Abstract of the Disclosure A portable blast head rigging apparatus is dis-closed which is particularly suited for use in cleaning the sides of large storage tanks. The rigging employs a travel car having a winch mechanism thereon. By means of a cable connected to the top of the tank the car crawls up the side of the tank to the top where it is pivoted into a position from which it can travel around the entire circum-ference of the tank. Once in place the travel car hoists a rigging into position against the tank side suspended from the travel car. The blast head is then moved up and down within the rigging by operation of the travel car winch mechanism and the travel car is repositioned periodically to permit treatment of the entire tank.
Description
Background of the Invention This invention relates to the field of blast cleaning equipment. More specifically, it relates to rigging ,, utilized for positioning blast cleaning equipment against the sides of large storage tanks. Such tanks require periodic cleaning in order to remove scale, rust and other debris prior to painting or other surface treatment. This is usually accomplished by means of blast cleaning the surface with suit-able abrasives by means of a centrifugal throwing wheel device.
Such devices are well known in the art and, for example, may be of the type manufactured by Wheelabrator-Frye Inc. of ~ -~
Mishawaka, Indiana.
In order to treat substantially the entire surface -of the tank, it is necessary to move the blast device over the circumference of the tank in a uniform manner~ For that purpose a number of rigging or suspension schemes have been developed. These include the us~ of large cranes which are erected and then used to suspend the blast head against the tank sides, or the erection of a scaffolding on the top of ~ the tank to which a rigging or trolley may be attached. In the latter case a crane is also necessary for placing and removing the rigging and for attaching the blast means.
Other prior art arrangements are described in the prior art statement of this specification.
In order to lower the cost of blast treating tank sides, it is desirable to provide a blast rigging device which does not require special scaffolding to be installed on the tank nor the use of a crane to erect the rigging.
Stated differently, it is desirable to develop a rigging 3 which can "bootstrap" itself up the tank and then lift the rigging in place and subsequently serve to move the rigging ;
and blast head over the surface of the tank. That objective and others are accomplished by the present invention. ~ ;
_ummary of the Invention The present invention employs a travel car unit capable of hoisting itself up the side of a tank to a posi-tion wherein one set of wheels are on the top of the tank with the remaining set of wheels on the side of the tank. Thus positioned~ it is secured to the top of the tank by cables for rotation around the tank. A winch mechanism on the travel car is utilized to lift the rigging and to secure it to the travel car. Finally, the blast head is raised and lowered ~;
within the rigging by the winch mechanism during the course of treatment. After a vertical section of the tank has been treated the travel car moves to a new section where the process repeats.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provideA a rigging apparatus for use in treating the side of a storage tank with a blasting device comprising: (a) a wheel~
ed travel car including winch means connectable to the center of the top of said tank for pulling said travel car up the side of the tank and positioning the car on the top along the outer periphery thereof, (b) drive means for selectably moving the car along the tank top periphery, (c) a rigging suspended from said travel car in a position adjacent said tank side, (d) frame means vertically displaceable on said rigging for secur-ing said blasting device in contact with said tank side, said frame means being suspended from said winch means, the latter controlling the vertical movement of the former relative to said rigging~
~ -2-In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of blast treating the side of a storage tank comprising the steps of: (a) securing a wheeled car to the center point of the tank top, (b) pulling said car to the top of said tank and positioning said car on the outer periphery thereof attached to the center point, (c) suspend-ing a rigging from said car adjacent the tank side, (d) engaging a frame having the blast head secured thereto on said rigging for vertical movement thereover, (e) raising and lowering said frame from said car to move said blast head over a vertical section of said tank side, (f) repositioning the wheeled car to a new location~along the outer periphery thereby moving said blast head to a ne~ vertical section, (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until the entire tank side has been blast treated.
Objects of Aspects of the Invention It is, accordingly, an object of an aspect of the `
invention to provide a simplified and low cost blast head riggingfor use in conjunction with cleaning the sides of large storage tanks.
~ It is an object of an aspect of the invention to ; provide a blast head rigging which does not require the use of cranes or specially installed scaffolding to accommodate the rigging during cleaning.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a travel car mechanism capable of climbing the side of a tank and positioning itself at the top thereof for rotation about the tank and capable of moving a blast head rigging thereon for movement therewith.
An object of an aspect cE the invention is the pro-vision -2a-.
of a self-erectiny blast head rigging which is portable and rapidly installed and removed.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the spec- -ification.
Prior Art Statement The applicants acknowledge the following references as prior art of which they are aware~
U.S. Patent Nos. 3,900,968 to Shigyo; 3,984,944 to Maasberg et al; and 2,098,262 to Temple.
The Shigyo patent discloses a blast cleaning device for the treatment of ver~ical surfaces in which ::~
a crane maintains the treating device against the surface ~
(Figure 1) or, alternatively, a trolley car E is suspended .:.~ :
on rails attached to the top of the surface (Figure 2).
: Maasberg et al. teach a cleaning device suspended from a lifting mechanism 2 movable on a rail 14 ~Figure 1).
The mechanism includes a winch 10. The Temple reference discloses a cleaning device secured by a trolley mechanism 42 in which an offset center of gravity is employed to :.
maintain the device against the surface. ~ .
Brief Descri~tion of the Drawings Figures 1 and 2 are side elevational views of a storage tank showing the rigging apparatus according to the ..
:
invention in various stages of assembly.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention in position on a tank.
Figure 4 is a front elevational view along the lines - 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the blast head carriage.
Figure 6 is a plan view of a blast head carriage along the lines 6-6 of Figure 5.
Detailed Description I Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the invention - is illustrated in conjunction with a large storage tank. The tank 10 requires periodic sur~ace treatment for the purpose of preventing rust, etc. The treatment is effected by use of centrifugal blast wheels of the type referenced in the back-ground portion of the speciflcation. The present invention relates to a rigging apparatus whi.ch is transported to the tank and once in position is effective for moving the blast head 12 up and down over the entire surface of the tank.
The principal elements of the invention are a travel car indicated generally at 14, rigging sections 16 and 18 and a blast head frame 20.
As indicated schematically in Figure 2, the travel car is a wheeled frame including a winch to be described in connection with Figure 3. The travel car is attached to a center post 22 at the top of the tank by one or more cables 24 and 26. The travel car winch mechanism is then utilized - to pull the travel car up the side of the tank until it `~ reaches the position shown in solid lines in Figures 1 and 3 2. It is then secured to the tank center post 22 by cables : .
28 and 30. The winch cable is next utilized for raising the top rigging section 16 onto a rigging hook carried by the travel car. As the rigging is raised off the ground, extension sections 18 are secured thereto until the entire rigging illustrated in Figure 1 is assembled and positioned as shown. Standoffs 32 may be utilized at appropriate dis-tances to properly position the rigging.
As illustrated in conjunction with Figures 5 and 6, the blast head frame 20 is arranged to move up and down on the rigging under control of the travel car winch. The :! frame carries the blast head 21 and thus movement of the frame is effective for moving the blast head over the tank surface, As will be appreciated, this general arrangement completely avoids the necessity of utilizing a ,crane or a fixed scaffold mounted to the tank to accomplish blast treat-ment.
Referring now to Figures 3 and ~, the construction details of the travel car are illustrated. The travel car frame 40 is generally rectangular and includes at the rear end thereof cantilevered members 42 having a cable roller 44 supported therebetween. Extending downwardly from the ?
rectangular frame are a pair of legs 46 having a wheel 48 rotatably mounted thereto at a right angle to the legs. Ex-tending downwardly from the front portion of the frame are a - 25 pair of wheels 50 and 52. Wheel 52 is motor driven via a belt 54, gear box 56 and motor 58. When the travel car is - ~;
in the posi~ion illustrated in Figure 3, the wheel 52 is -rotated 90 to the position shown in Figure 1. The motor 58 --.
then drives the travel car assembly around the periphery of 3 the tank repositioni~g the rigging, as necessary, to reach ~ `7~
!
succeeding vertical strips of the tank.
Secured to the rectangular frame are a pair of winch mechanisms indicated generally at 60 and 62. The main winch 60 includes a roll 64 driven by a motor 66 through a gear box 68 and chains 70. The auxiliary winch 62 includes a roll 71 driven by a motor 72 through a gear box 74 and chains 76.
As best seen in Figure 3, the front end of the frame is provided with a tensioning mechanism including a motor 82 which drives a threaded element 84 to which one end ~! of the support cable 28 is connected. The support cable 28 passes from ~he element 84 to the tank center post 22 and ~-then back to the travel car where it is secured to an eyelet 86. Operation of the motor 82 is effective for moving the threaded element 84 to the left or right, as viewed in Figure 3, to maintain tension on the cable to correctly posi-tion the travel car on the top of the tank. A second cable 30 is employed for connecting the travel car with the center - post. This cable operates as a safety in the event of a break in the main cable 28. ~t is secured to an eyelet 88 located at the bottom of the frame.
The rear portion of the travel car is provided with a hook plate 90 having a pin 92 thereon to which the ` upper section of the rigging 16 is attached. For that pur-pose the rigging includes a hook 94 suitably dimensioned to receive the pin 92 therein. The hook 94 is located off-center with respect to the centroid of the rigging 16 to create a rotational force centered about the pin 92 in the direction indicated by the arrow 96. As viewed in Figure 1, 3 this force tends to maintain the rigging firmly against the side of the tank.
In addition to the cable roller 44 a second cable roller 96 is provided between a pair of upstanding flanges 98 secured to the upper portion of the travel car frame. As indicated in Figure 3, the cable 24 comes off the main winch ~ ;
roll 64 from the underside thereof and passes over both cable rollers 96 and 44 before travelling downwardly to a point of attachment with the blast head frame 20.
The various motors on the travel car are manually operated by an operator positioned on the top of the tank.
Remote controls, well known in the motor art, may be employed as desired for that purpose. ~ ~ -Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the blast head frame 20 and the blast head 12 are illustrated i~ greater detail.
The frame 20 is provided with four wheels lO0 extending out-wardly from the frame beyond the sides of the rigging 18.
The wheels engage the outside of the rigging and ~ravel thereon as the frame moves vertically on the rigglng. The : blasting device 21, of conventional design, includes a housing 102 having a motor and throwing wheel therein, a supply hop-per 104, a flexible seal 106 which er;gages the surface of the ~
tank 10 to prevent the escape of blast particulate. The `-~-blast wheel assembly is secured to the frame 20 in a conven-tional manner except that a cylinder 108 is employed to permit retraction of the blast head from the tank surface, if necessary, to clear obstructions.
The assembly and operation of the invention thus far described is as follows. Initially, an operator climbs to the top of the tank and connects cables 24 and 26 (Figure
Such devices are well known in the art and, for example, may be of the type manufactured by Wheelabrator-Frye Inc. of ~ -~
Mishawaka, Indiana.
In order to treat substantially the entire surface -of the tank, it is necessary to move the blast device over the circumference of the tank in a uniform manner~ For that purpose a number of rigging or suspension schemes have been developed. These include the us~ of large cranes which are erected and then used to suspend the blast head against the tank sides, or the erection of a scaffolding on the top of ~ the tank to which a rigging or trolley may be attached. In the latter case a crane is also necessary for placing and removing the rigging and for attaching the blast means.
Other prior art arrangements are described in the prior art statement of this specification.
In order to lower the cost of blast treating tank sides, it is desirable to provide a blast rigging device which does not require special scaffolding to be installed on the tank nor the use of a crane to erect the rigging.
Stated differently, it is desirable to develop a rigging 3 which can "bootstrap" itself up the tank and then lift the rigging in place and subsequently serve to move the rigging ;
and blast head over the surface of the tank. That objective and others are accomplished by the present invention. ~ ;
_ummary of the Invention The present invention employs a travel car unit capable of hoisting itself up the side of a tank to a posi-tion wherein one set of wheels are on the top of the tank with the remaining set of wheels on the side of the tank. Thus positioned~ it is secured to the top of the tank by cables for rotation around the tank. A winch mechanism on the travel car is utilized to lift the rigging and to secure it to the travel car. Finally, the blast head is raised and lowered ~;
within the rigging by the winch mechanism during the course of treatment. After a vertical section of the tank has been treated the travel car moves to a new section where the process repeats.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provideA a rigging apparatus for use in treating the side of a storage tank with a blasting device comprising: (a) a wheel~
ed travel car including winch means connectable to the center of the top of said tank for pulling said travel car up the side of the tank and positioning the car on the top along the outer periphery thereof, (b) drive means for selectably moving the car along the tank top periphery, (c) a rigging suspended from said travel car in a position adjacent said tank side, (d) frame means vertically displaceable on said rigging for secur-ing said blasting device in contact with said tank side, said frame means being suspended from said winch means, the latter controlling the vertical movement of the former relative to said rigging~
~ -2-In accordance with another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of blast treating the side of a storage tank comprising the steps of: (a) securing a wheeled car to the center point of the tank top, (b) pulling said car to the top of said tank and positioning said car on the outer periphery thereof attached to the center point, (c) suspend-ing a rigging from said car adjacent the tank side, (d) engaging a frame having the blast head secured thereto on said rigging for vertical movement thereover, (e) raising and lowering said frame from said car to move said blast head over a vertical section of said tank side, (f) repositioning the wheeled car to a new location~along the outer periphery thereby moving said blast head to a ne~ vertical section, (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until the entire tank side has been blast treated.
Objects of Aspects of the Invention It is, accordingly, an object of an aspect of the `
invention to provide a simplified and low cost blast head riggingfor use in conjunction with cleaning the sides of large storage tanks.
~ It is an object of an aspect of the invention to ; provide a blast head rigging which does not require the use of cranes or specially installed scaffolding to accommodate the rigging during cleaning.
An object of an aspect of the invention is to provide a travel car mechanism capable of climbing the side of a tank and positioning itself at the top thereof for rotation about the tank and capable of moving a blast head rigging thereon for movement therewith.
An object of an aspect cE the invention is the pro-vision -2a-.
of a self-erectiny blast head rigging which is portable and rapidly installed and removed.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the spec- -ification.
Prior Art Statement The applicants acknowledge the following references as prior art of which they are aware~
U.S. Patent Nos. 3,900,968 to Shigyo; 3,984,944 to Maasberg et al; and 2,098,262 to Temple.
The Shigyo patent discloses a blast cleaning device for the treatment of ver~ical surfaces in which ::~
a crane maintains the treating device against the surface ~
(Figure 1) or, alternatively, a trolley car E is suspended .:.~ :
on rails attached to the top of the surface (Figure 2).
: Maasberg et al. teach a cleaning device suspended from a lifting mechanism 2 movable on a rail 14 ~Figure 1).
The mechanism includes a winch 10. The Temple reference discloses a cleaning device secured by a trolley mechanism 42 in which an offset center of gravity is employed to :.
maintain the device against the surface. ~ .
Brief Descri~tion of the Drawings Figures 1 and 2 are side elevational views of a storage tank showing the rigging apparatus according to the ..
:
invention in various stages of assembly.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention in position on a tank.
Figure 4 is a front elevational view along the lines - 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the blast head carriage.
Figure 6 is a plan view of a blast head carriage along the lines 6-6 of Figure 5.
Detailed Description I Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the invention - is illustrated in conjunction with a large storage tank. The tank 10 requires periodic sur~ace treatment for the purpose of preventing rust, etc. The treatment is effected by use of centrifugal blast wheels of the type referenced in the back-ground portion of the speciflcation. The present invention relates to a rigging apparatus whi.ch is transported to the tank and once in position is effective for moving the blast head 12 up and down over the entire surface of the tank.
The principal elements of the invention are a travel car indicated generally at 14, rigging sections 16 and 18 and a blast head frame 20.
As indicated schematically in Figure 2, the travel car is a wheeled frame including a winch to be described in connection with Figure 3. The travel car is attached to a center post 22 at the top of the tank by one or more cables 24 and 26. The travel car winch mechanism is then utilized - to pull the travel car up the side of the tank until it `~ reaches the position shown in solid lines in Figures 1 and 3 2. It is then secured to the tank center post 22 by cables : .
28 and 30. The winch cable is next utilized for raising the top rigging section 16 onto a rigging hook carried by the travel car. As the rigging is raised off the ground, extension sections 18 are secured thereto until the entire rigging illustrated in Figure 1 is assembled and positioned as shown. Standoffs 32 may be utilized at appropriate dis-tances to properly position the rigging.
As illustrated in conjunction with Figures 5 and 6, the blast head frame 20 is arranged to move up and down on the rigging under control of the travel car winch. The :! frame carries the blast head 21 and thus movement of the frame is effective for moving the blast head over the tank surface, As will be appreciated, this general arrangement completely avoids the necessity of utilizing a ,crane or a fixed scaffold mounted to the tank to accomplish blast treat-ment.
Referring now to Figures 3 and ~, the construction details of the travel car are illustrated. The travel car frame 40 is generally rectangular and includes at the rear end thereof cantilevered members 42 having a cable roller 44 supported therebetween. Extending downwardly from the ?
rectangular frame are a pair of legs 46 having a wheel 48 rotatably mounted thereto at a right angle to the legs. Ex-tending downwardly from the front portion of the frame are a - 25 pair of wheels 50 and 52. Wheel 52 is motor driven via a belt 54, gear box 56 and motor 58. When the travel car is - ~;
in the posi~ion illustrated in Figure 3, the wheel 52 is -rotated 90 to the position shown in Figure 1. The motor 58 --.
then drives the travel car assembly around the periphery of 3 the tank repositioni~g the rigging, as necessary, to reach ~ `7~
!
succeeding vertical strips of the tank.
Secured to the rectangular frame are a pair of winch mechanisms indicated generally at 60 and 62. The main winch 60 includes a roll 64 driven by a motor 66 through a gear box 68 and chains 70. The auxiliary winch 62 includes a roll 71 driven by a motor 72 through a gear box 74 and chains 76.
As best seen in Figure 3, the front end of the frame is provided with a tensioning mechanism including a motor 82 which drives a threaded element 84 to which one end ~! of the support cable 28 is connected. The support cable 28 passes from ~he element 84 to the tank center post 22 and ~-then back to the travel car where it is secured to an eyelet 86. Operation of the motor 82 is effective for moving the threaded element 84 to the left or right, as viewed in Figure 3, to maintain tension on the cable to correctly posi-tion the travel car on the top of the tank. A second cable 30 is employed for connecting the travel car with the center - post. This cable operates as a safety in the event of a break in the main cable 28. ~t is secured to an eyelet 88 located at the bottom of the frame.
The rear portion of the travel car is provided with a hook plate 90 having a pin 92 thereon to which the ` upper section of the rigging 16 is attached. For that pur-pose the rigging includes a hook 94 suitably dimensioned to receive the pin 92 therein. The hook 94 is located off-center with respect to the centroid of the rigging 16 to create a rotational force centered about the pin 92 in the direction indicated by the arrow 96. As viewed in Figure 1, 3 this force tends to maintain the rigging firmly against the side of the tank.
In addition to the cable roller 44 a second cable roller 96 is provided between a pair of upstanding flanges 98 secured to the upper portion of the travel car frame. As indicated in Figure 3, the cable 24 comes off the main winch ~ ;
roll 64 from the underside thereof and passes over both cable rollers 96 and 44 before travelling downwardly to a point of attachment with the blast head frame 20.
The various motors on the travel car are manually operated by an operator positioned on the top of the tank.
Remote controls, well known in the motor art, may be employed as desired for that purpose. ~ ~ -Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the blast head frame 20 and the blast head 12 are illustrated i~ greater detail.
The frame 20 is provided with four wheels lO0 extending out-wardly from the frame beyond the sides of the rigging 18.
The wheels engage the outside of the rigging and ~ravel thereon as the frame moves vertically on the rigglng. The : blasting device 21, of conventional design, includes a housing 102 having a motor and throwing wheel therein, a supply hop-per 104, a flexible seal 106 which er;gages the surface of the ~
tank 10 to prevent the escape of blast particulate. The `-~-blast wheel assembly is secured to the frame 20 in a conven-tional manner except that a cylinder 108 is employed to permit retraction of the blast head from the tank surface, if necessary, to clear obstructions.
The assembly and operation of the invention thus far described is as follows. Initially, an operator climbs to the top of the tank and connects cables 24 and 26 (Figure
2) to the tank center post 22. A second operator on the ground initiates operation of the main and auxiliary winches i~
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60 and 62 causing the travel car 14 to begin climbing the side of the tank. The cable 24 carries most of the weight of the travel car with cable 26 serving to stabilize the car during the climb and permitting changes in the angular orien-tation if necessary.
Upon reaching the top of the tank, the travel car pivots to the position indicated in solid lines in Figure 2 with the rear wheels 48 engaging the side of the tank and the front wheels supporting the travel car on the tank top. At that point the winches are shut down and cables 28 and 30 are ! attached between the travel car and the tank center post using a snatch block 109 or similar rotatable connector. The ten-sion in cable 28 is adjusted by means of the screw mechanism 84 to correctly position the travel car relative to the edge of the tank. The cables 24 and 26 are then released from the center post with the auxiliary cable 26 being stored out of the way.
The main cable 24 is passed over the cable rollers 96 and 44 as illustrated in Figure 3 and fed downwardly to : 20 an operator on the ground. The operator secures cable 24 to the top section of the rigging 16 and lifts the rigging up-wardly as illustrated in Figure 2. As the rigging is raised additional sections of rigging may be bolted on so that when the top section is in position the entire rigging has been -assembled and correctly positioned against the tank. Alter-natively, it is possible to pull the rigging up with the ~
travel car in which case the main hoist is used for lifting ~-the travel car and the rigging. This latter operating mode ~`
is less desirable because of the inability to orient the
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, , ~
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60 and 62 causing the travel car 14 to begin climbing the side of the tank. The cable 24 carries most of the weight of the travel car with cable 26 serving to stabilize the car during the climb and permitting changes in the angular orien-tation if necessary.
Upon reaching the top of the tank, the travel car pivots to the position indicated in solid lines in Figure 2 with the rear wheels 48 engaging the side of the tank and the front wheels supporting the travel car on the tank top. At that point the winches are shut down and cables 28 and 30 are ! attached between the travel car and the tank center post using a snatch block 109 or similar rotatable connector. The ten-sion in cable 28 is adjusted by means of the screw mechanism 84 to correctly position the travel car relative to the edge of the tank. The cables 24 and 26 are then released from the center post with the auxiliary cable 26 being stored out of the way.
The main cable 24 is passed over the cable rollers 96 and 44 as illustrated in Figure 3 and fed downwardly to : 20 an operator on the ground. The operator secures cable 24 to the top section of the rigging 16 and lifts the rigging up-wardly as illustrated in Figure 2. As the rigging is raised additional sections of rigging may be bolted on so that when the top section is in position the entire rigging has been -assembled and correctly positioned against the tank. Alter-natively, it is possible to pull the rigging up with the ~
travel car in which case the main hoist is used for lifting ~-the travel car and the rigging. This latter operating mode ~`
is less desirable because of the inability to orient the
3 travel car during movement up the side of the tank.
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~ 1hen the top section of rigging reaches the travel car the hook 94 engages pin 92 securing the rigging to the hook plate 90 and, in turn, to the travel car. The cable 24 is then disengaged from the rigging and passed downwardly to the ground where the blast head frame 20 is secured there-to by means of connecting plate llO (Figure 5). The blast head is then moved vertically in the rigging by operation of the main winch raising and lowering the frame 20. As the blast head moves over the surface of the tank it treats the surface by subjecting it to an abrasive blast in a manner ! well known in the art. ~
;
In order to permit cleaning of the Qntire tank side the operator repositions the drive wheel 52 so that it is substantially parallel with the circumferenc~e of the tank top. After each vertical section of the tank side has been cleaned, the operator actuates the wheel drive motor 58 `
causing circumerential movement of the travel car on the tank top. The rigging attached thereto is, o~ course, also moved to a new vertical section of the tank where the treat~
ment process continues.
Upon completing the tank cleaning operation the -;~
structure is disassembled in essentially the same manner in which it was assembled. First, the blast head and frame are lowered and freed from the rigging. Next the rigging sec-tions are disassembled and lowered by use of the main winch. ~;
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:, Finally, the travel car lowers itself to the ground after which the cables 24 and 2~ are removed from the tank center post. The apparatus thus described is then ready for trans-portation to another location for additional use.
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While we have shown and described embodiments of this invention in some detail, it will be understood that this description and illustrations are offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope only by the appended claims.
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~ 1hen the top section of rigging reaches the travel car the hook 94 engages pin 92 securing the rigging to the hook plate 90 and, in turn, to the travel car. The cable 24 is then disengaged from the rigging and passed downwardly to the ground where the blast head frame 20 is secured there-to by means of connecting plate llO (Figure 5). The blast head is then moved vertically in the rigging by operation of the main winch raising and lowering the frame 20. As the blast head moves over the surface of the tank it treats the surface by subjecting it to an abrasive blast in a manner ! well known in the art. ~
;
In order to permit cleaning of the Qntire tank side the operator repositions the drive wheel 52 so that it is substantially parallel with the circumferenc~e of the tank top. After each vertical section of the tank side has been cleaned, the operator actuates the wheel drive motor 58 `
causing circumerential movement of the travel car on the tank top. The rigging attached thereto is, o~ course, also moved to a new vertical section of the tank where the treat~
ment process continues.
Upon completing the tank cleaning operation the -;~
structure is disassembled in essentially the same manner in which it was assembled. First, the blast head and frame are lowered and freed from the rigging. Next the rigging sec-tions are disassembled and lowered by use of the main winch. ~;
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:, Finally, the travel car lowers itself to the ground after which the cables 24 and 2~ are removed from the tank center post. The apparatus thus described is then ready for trans-portation to another location for additional use.
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While we have shown and described embodiments of this invention in some detail, it will be understood that this description and illustrations are offered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope only by the appended claims.
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Claims (11)
1. A rigging apparatus for use in treating the side of a storage tank with a blasting device comprising:
(a) a wheeled travel car including winch means connectable to the center of the top of said tank for pulling said travel car up the side of the tank and posi-tioning the car on the top along the outer periphery thereof, (b) drive means for selectably moving the car along the tank top periphery, (c) a rigging suspended from said travel car in a position adjacent said tank side, (d) frame means vertically displaceable on said rigging for securing said blasting device in contact with said tank side, said frame means being suspended from said winch means, the latter controlling the vertical movement of the former relative to said rigging.
(a) a wheeled travel car including winch means connectable to the center of the top of said tank for pulling said travel car up the side of the tank and posi-tioning the car on the top along the outer periphery thereof, (b) drive means for selectably moving the car along the tank top periphery, (c) a rigging suspended from said travel car in a position adjacent said tank side, (d) frame means vertically displaceable on said rigging for securing said blasting device in contact with said tank side, said frame means being suspended from said winch means, the latter controlling the vertical movement of the former relative to said rigging.
2. The apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said travel car includes two sets of wheels, one set travelling on the tank top, the other set travelling on the tank side during movement of said car along the top periphery of the tank, whereby correct positioning of the car and the rigging suspended therefrom is maintained during operation of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said winch means includes a main winch and an auxiliary winch spaced from the main winch, both of said winches being employed to raise said travel car to the top of the tank, the auxiliary winch being employed to adjust the attitude of said car.
4. The apparatus according to Claim 3 wherein said winches are motor driven.
5. The apparatus according to Claim 2 wherein said drive means include a motor drivingly connected to one of said wheels.
6. The apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein said rigging comprises:
(a) a top section including means for connecting said section to said travel car, (b) a plurality of intermediate sections secured one beneath the other to span substantially the entire height of the tank, the uppermost intermediate section being secured to the top section.
(a) a top section including means for connecting said section to said travel car, (b) a plurality of intermediate sections secured one beneath the other to span substantially the entire height of the tank, the uppermost intermediate section being secured to the top section.
7. The apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein said connecting means is located offcenter and inwardly with respect to the centroid of said top section whereby a rotational force is produced about said connecting means tending to maintain said rigging against said tank side.
8. The apparatus according to Claim 6 wherein said travel car includes a hook plate and said connecting means is a hook engageable on said plate to suspend said rigging therefrom.
9. A method of blast treating the side of a storage tank comprising the steps of:
(a) securing a wheeled car to the center point of the tank top, (b) pulling said car to the top of said tank and positioning said car on the outer periphery thereof attached to the center point, (c) suspending a rigging from said car adjacent the tank side, (d) engaging a frame having the blast head secured thereto on said rigging for vertical movement thereover, (e) raising and lowering said frame from said car to move said blast head over a vertical section of said tank side, (f) repositioning the wheeled car to a new loca-tion along the outer periphery thereby moving said blast head to a new vertical section, (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until the entire tank side has been blast treated.
(a) securing a wheeled car to the center point of the tank top, (b) pulling said car to the top of said tank and positioning said car on the outer periphery thereof attached to the center point, (c) suspending a rigging from said car adjacent the tank side, (d) engaging a frame having the blast head secured thereto on said rigging for vertical movement thereover, (e) raising and lowering said frame from said car to move said blast head over a vertical section of said tank side, (f) repositioning the wheeled car to a new loca-tion along the outer periphery thereby moving said blast head to a new vertical section, (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until the entire tank side has been blast treated.
10. The method of Claim 9 wherein step (c) includes the substep of:
assembling the rigging from sectional pieces as it is raised to the point of suspension on the car.
assembling the rigging from sectional pieces as it is raised to the point of suspension on the car.
11. The method according to Claim 9 wherein step (c) further includes the step of:
suspending the rigging offcenter and inwardly of its center of gravity to create a rotational force tending to maintain said rigging against the side of the tank.
suspending the rigging offcenter and inwardly of its center of gravity to create a rotational force tending to maintain said rigging against the side of the tank.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US05/940,958 US4199905A (en) | 1978-09-11 | 1978-09-11 | Blast head rigging apparatus for tank side cleaning |
| US940,958 | 1978-09-11 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1114170A true CA1114170A (en) | 1981-12-15 |
Family
ID=25475710
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA334,263A Expired CA1114170A (en) | 1978-09-11 | 1979-08-22 | Blast head rigging apparatus for tank side cleaning |
Country Status (4)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4199905A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1114170A (en) |
| NL (1) | NL7906320A (en) |
| PT (1) | PT70159A (en) |
Families Citing this family (26)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4408419A (en) * | 1980-12-03 | 1983-10-11 | Appling Tom J | Apparatus and method for sandblasting flanged beams |
| US5038527A (en) * | 1988-10-28 | 1991-08-13 | Helmut Fastje | Suction-hood for facade-cleaning |
| US5042208A (en) * | 1990-01-09 | 1991-08-27 | Lake Richardson | Concrete wall finishing machine |
| CA2085391A1 (en) * | 1991-12-31 | 1993-07-01 | Wheelabrator Clean Water Systems Inc. | Magnetic tread blast cleaning machine |
| BR9204236A (en) * | 1992-10-30 | 1994-05-03 | Petroleo Brasileiro Sa | Particulate material collecting system for coir blasting operation |
| US5291695A (en) * | 1992-11-04 | 1994-03-08 | Blastco Corporation | Scaffolding with enclosed movable work areas sealed against work surfaces |
| US5367841A (en) * | 1993-02-16 | 1994-11-29 | Smith; Michael D. | Containing structure for abrasive blast head rigging and tank side cleaning apparatus |
| CA2139558A1 (en) * | 1994-01-14 | 1995-07-15 | Robert B. Watkin | Oscillating blast cleaner |
| US5716261A (en) * | 1994-01-14 | 1998-02-10 | The Wheelabrator Corporation, | Oscillating blast cleaner |
| US5531584A (en) * | 1994-10-28 | 1996-07-02 | Jacques; Carol | Automated trowelling system |
| KR100384194B1 (en) * | 1995-03-22 | 2003-08-21 | 혼다 기켄 고교 가부시키가이샤 | Adsorption wall walking device |
| US5685767A (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 1997-11-11 | Dentinite, L.L.C. | Sandblasting apparatus |
| US6092517A (en) * | 1996-10-21 | 2000-07-25 | Schanel; Douglas R. | Concrete surface trimming apparatus |
| US5772496A (en) * | 1997-03-07 | 1998-06-30 | Enerfab, Inc. | Device and method for finishing surfaces |
| WO2000010786A1 (en) * | 1998-08-25 | 2000-03-02 | Schanel Douglas R | Concrete surface trimming apparatus |
| US6675548B2 (en) * | 2000-08-31 | 2004-01-13 | Dyk Incorporated | Method and apparatus for texturizing tank walls |
| NL1028016C1 (en) * | 2005-01-13 | 2006-07-21 | Blastrac B V | Surface treatment of a tank wall. |
| CN101538928A (en) * | 2009-04-17 | 2009-09-23 | 柯干兴 | Multi-purpose wall machine |
| WO2012177291A1 (en) * | 2011-06-23 | 2012-12-27 | Santure Robert J | Surface media blasting system and method |
| US9827650B2 (en) * | 2011-06-23 | 2017-11-28 | Robert J Santure | Surface media blaster |
| US8726833B2 (en) | 2012-03-07 | 2014-05-20 | Adam G. Logan | Painting system having a vehicle with lift structure, table actuator, and spray head |
| DE102014210947B3 (en) * | 2014-06-06 | 2015-07-16 | EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG | Apparatus and method for removing contaminated material |
| US9599282B2 (en) * | 2015-03-18 | 2017-03-21 | RBW Enterprises, Inc. | Maintenance system support apparatus and support systems |
| US10406549B2 (en) | 2015-08-27 | 2019-09-10 | Forjak Industrial, Inc. | System for treating a surface |
| CA2983707A1 (en) | 2016-10-25 | 2018-04-25 | Forjak Industrial, Inc. | Apparatus for treating a surface and vehicle for same |
| DE102017010517B4 (en) * | 2017-11-14 | 2021-06-10 | Dywidag-Systems International Gmbh | Safety system to secure people against falls |
Family Cites Families (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2098262A (en) * | 1935-12-13 | 1937-11-09 | John C Temple | Surfacing machine |
| US2543348A (en) * | 1948-12-21 | 1951-02-27 | Todd Shipyards Corp | Scaling machine for cleaning the sides of a ship |
| US3114433A (en) * | 1963-01-04 | 1963-12-17 | Downs Cas Arnold | Traveling scaffold |
| US3820633A (en) * | 1971-12-06 | 1974-06-28 | Champion Hoist Co | Hoist |
| US3900968A (en) * | 1971-12-10 | 1975-08-26 | Genshichi Shigyo | Mobile cleaning and polishing device |
| US3863393A (en) * | 1972-03-13 | 1975-02-04 | Nelson Robert J | Apparatus for supporting work means on vertically disposed surface |
| US3837429A (en) * | 1973-08-03 | 1974-09-24 | R Harris | Traveling scaffold |
| DE2429838C3 (en) * | 1974-06-21 | 1981-07-09 | Maasberg, Wolfgang, 4224 Hünxe | Device for cleaning side walls, essentially vertical container walls or the like. Surfaces made of ferromagnetic material |
| US3900080A (en) * | 1974-08-15 | 1975-08-19 | Jones Spencer D | Scaffold apparatus |
-
1978
- 1978-09-11 US US05/940,958 patent/US4199905A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1979
- 1979-08-21 NL NL7906320A patent/NL7906320A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1979-08-22 CA CA334,263A patent/CA1114170A/en not_active Expired
- 1979-09-10 PT PT70159A patent/PT70159A/en unknown
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4199905A (en) | 1980-04-29 |
| NL7906320A (en) | 1980-03-13 |
| PT70159A (en) | 1979-10-01 |
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